Truss



March 24, 1936. F. F. HOSMER 2,034,814

TRUSS Filed April 14, 1933 swf/4 j 26 27 2.112 /n/l/f/l/To/e.

Patented Mar. 24, 1936 NLTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to a truss for the treatment and correction of either single or double abdominal hernia and the principal object of my invention is, to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the .existing forms of trusses and to provide a truss that is relatively simple of construction, inexpensive of manufacture and which may be worn without undue discomfort and inconvenience to the wearer.

Further objects of my invention are, to provide a truss having a wide range of adjustability in order that it may be conveniently worn by persons of different sizes and fitted so that the spring pressed pad will yieldingly engage directly upon the hernia and further, to construct the truss so that the resilient metal straps or bands that carry the spring pressed pad will not make direct contact with the body of the wearer while the truss is in proper position for use.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a truss constructed `in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. y

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of '2'.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 'I-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view looking against the inner face of the resilient arm that carries the hernia engaging pad.

Fig. 9 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 2, with parts broken away and showing the form of truss constructed for double hernia.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, I and II designate the :dat straps or bands of resilient metal, preferably steel, the inner portions of which bands overlap each other, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and suitably secured to the outer ends of these bands are straps I2 of leather or fabric.

The ends of the straps that are connected to (Cl. 12S-99) the metal bands are suitably padded to afford comfort to the wearer of the truss.

Carried by the free ends of the straps I2, are disc-shaped pads I3 of suitable material that are adapted to bear on the back of the wearers body and projecting outwardly from the 'ends of vthe straps that carry said pads I3, are headed studs I4.

A strap I5 has one end detachably mounted on one of the head studs and the other end of this strap is provided with apertures I6, 'whereby the strap may be adjustably connected to the other one of the studs I4 and thereby hold the truss in proper position upon the wearers body.

The metal bands or straps. I0 and II vare provided with longitudinally disposed slots I 1 and `passing through these slo-ts adjacent to the inner end of band Ill, is a clamping screw I8 that receives a nut I9, thereby adjustably securing the inner ends of the resilient metal bands to each other.

The lower end of a vertically disposed resilient metal arm 26 that curves inwardly from the front faces of the bands I0 and I I, is secured by means of a clamping screw 2| and nut 2'2 to the overlapping portions of the bands I0 and I I at a` .point between the clamping screw I8 and the inner end of band I0.

Inasrnuch as the bands I0 and II are longitudinally slotted, this upstanding arm 20 may be adjusted lengthwise upon the overlapping portions of said bands.

The upper end'of the inwardly .projecting arm carries a pad 23 that is adapted to yieldingly engage the body at a point above the horizontal plane occupied by the truss and thereby tending to hold said truss in proper position with the bands I0 and II spaced apart from the adjacent surface of the body.

One end of a resilient metal strap or band 24 carries a, relatively thick hernia engaging pad 25 and the opposite end of this resilient arm is provided with an aperture 26 that is surrounded by a `series of radially disposed ribs 21 and which latter are formed on the face of the band that is positioned adjacent to band or strap I0.

Interposed between this perforated end of the resilient arm 24 and the band Ill, is a washer 28 having a ribbed face that is adapted to engage the ribs 21 on arm 24 and projecting from the edge of this washer into the slot in band I0, is a lug 29. This lug holds the washer against rotary movement relative to the band I0 and arm 24.

Passing through the perforation 26 in arm 24,

through the washer 28 and through the slot in resilient band I0, is a clamping screw 30 that receives a nut 3| and the latter bearing on the outer face of band I0. This clamping screw 30 enables the resilient pad carrying arm 24 to be secured to the resilient band III in differently adjusted position lengthwise of said resilient band and when the clamping screw is loosened to permit disengagement of the ribs 2'I with the ribbed face of washer 28, the pad carrying arm 24 may be swung upwardly or downwardly so as to bring the pad 25 into position to exert pressure on the abdominal wall directly over the hernia. t

By tightening screw 30, the pad carrying arm 24 is securely fastened in its adjusted position to the resilient band I0.

The clamping screw I8 and nut I9 provide simple and eiicient means for securing therref silient bands I and I I to each other in differently adjusted positions and likewise the clamping screw 2| and nut 22 provide means for securing the lower end of the pad carrying arm 20 to the overlapping portions of the bands I0 and II in differently adjusted positions.

When the truss is properly applied to the body and strap I is secured to the studs 24, the padded ends of the straps I2 and the body engaging pad 23 maintain the metal bands ID and II in position spaced apart from the body of the wearer and the flexing of the resilient arm 24 outwardly away from the body of the wearer imparts tension to said arm so that the pad 25 engages with yielding pressure directly upon the abdominal wall over the hernia.

The hernia engaging pad 25, together with the body engaging pads I3 and 23 provide four points of contact between the truss and the wearers body and these contacts, together with the engagement of the straps I2 with the body, effectually retains the truss in proper position upon the body and permits ordinary body movements without disturbing the position of the hernia engaging pad 25.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the pad carrying arm 24 is shown in position for applying pressure to a hernia on the righthand side of the body and to apply pressure to a hernia on the lefthand side of the body, the position of the resilient arm 24 is reversed and its outer end is connected to the slotted portion of arm II.

In Fig. 9 I have illustrated a modified form of the truss wherein two resilient pad carrying arms 24 are provided for the treatment and correction of double abdominal hernia and in this construction the'resilient arms are bent vertically intermittent their ends so that the hernia engaging pads carried by the inner ends of said arms may occupy substantially the same horizontal plane.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a truss that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved truss may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a truss, the combination with a pair of bands of resilient metal arranged in overlapping relation, said bands being provided with coinciding longitudinally disposed slots, of straps of flexible material having their ends permanently secured to the outer ends of said bands, body engaging pads secured to the free ends of said exible straps and arranged on the inner faces thereof, a stud carried by the free end of one of the straps on the outer face thereof, a short strap secured to the free end of the other strap, said short strap being provided with apertures for the reception of said stud, releasable means passing through the slots in said resilient metal bands for adjustably clamping the end of one of said bands to the intermediate portion of the other band, a short vertically disposed resilient arm adjustably and detachably connected to the overlapping slotted portions of said bands, a pad carried by the upper portion of said resilient arm, an elongated resilient arm, means for detachably and adjustably connecting one end of said elongated resilient arm to one of the slotted bands between the point where said slotted band is connected to the other slotted band and the end of said band to which the flexible strap is connected, said elongated resilient band being curved inwardly away from the overlapping slotted portions of said rst mentioned bands so that its end terminates adjacent and in front of the short vertically disposed pad carrying arm and a body engaging pad carried by the free end of said elongated resilient band.

FRANK F. HOSMER. 

